The area of London just to the north west of Paddington is called Maida Vale, after the battle of Maida that took place in Italy in 1806. The area is very pretty and is cut through the middle by the Regent's Canal.

The attractiveness of the directly around the canal, in the southern part of Maida Vale, has earned it the nickname of Little Venice, first coined by the poet Robert Browning.

There are lots of picturesque pubs and walks in the area, making it a very pleasant place to while away an afternoon in. The area also contains the Rembrandt Gardens, which were named in 1975 in order to mark the 700th anniversary of Amsterdam.